Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt are asking for a secret ballot of the Parliamentary Labour Party to decide on Brown’s leadership. Will the PLP move against Brown this time after numerous opportunities have been missed??? The letter is set out below. Guido Fawkes has claimed he was the first to break the news so hat tip to him!

Dear Colleague, As we move towards a General Election it remains the case that the Parliamentary Labour Party is deeply divided over the question of the leadership. Many colleagues have expressed their frustration at the way in which this question is affecting our political performance. We have therefore come to the conclusion that the only way to resolve this issue would be to allow every member to express their view in a secret ballot.

This could be done quickly and with minimum disruption to the work of MPs and the Government. Whatever the outcome the whole of the party could then go forward, knowing that this matter had been sorted out once and for all.

Strong supporters of the Prime Minister should have no difficulty in backing this approach. There is a risk otherwise that the persistent background briefing and grumbling could continue up to and possibly through the election campaign, affecting our ability to concentrate all of our energies on getting our real message across. Equally those who want change, should they lose such a vote, would be expected by the majority of the PLP to devote all of their efforts to winning the election. The implications of such a vote would be clear – everyone would be bound to support the result. This is a clear opportunity to finally lay this matter to rest. The continued speculation and uncertainty is allowing our opponents to portray us as dispirited and disunited. It is damaging our ability to set out our strong case to the electorate. It is giving our political opponents an easy target.

In what will inevitably be a difficult and demanding election campaign, we must have a determined and united parliamentary party. It is our job to lead the fight against our political opponents. We can only do that if we resolve these distractions. We hope that you will support this proposal. Yours fraternally, Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt

The UK economy shrunk by 2.4% in the first quarter of this year which is the fastest rate of decline in over 50 years and is a damning indictment of the way the Government has managed the economy over the past 12 years.

All those comments by Gordon Brown that we were as a country better placed than others to weather the economic storm sound foolish to say the least. But what is even more worrying is the continued talk by Brown of trying to spend his way out of recession at a rate which will burden the country and taxpayers for decades to come. How will any future Government pay back a national debt to £1.4 trillion which is what we are likely to be left with if Gordon Brown has his way?

Yesterday I wrote that Frank Field among others was encouraging Labour MP’s to rebel and put Gordon Brown out of his misery but besides a few MP’s it seems that most aren’t prepared to put country and/or party before office/salary. Paul Waugh has written about Brown’s meeting last night with the PLP which clearly shows that most of Brown’s troops are prepared to criticise him behind his back but don’t have the bottle to do so to his face. What the clapping and table thumping was for is a total mystery. After being routed in the local and European elections and allowing the BNP to gain two MEP’s, I’d have thought they would have shown a little remorse and humility instead of behaving like a football crowd celebrating an important goal.

It’s a bit like the CEO of a major company coming to a shareholders meeting to explain why the company has made a loss of millions only to be greeted by a standing ovation!!

Frank Field MP has been typically candid and written a post on his blog which won’t be well received in Downing Street. He writes:

‘Labour cannot win with the present Prime Minister. I was one of the seven who would not support his coronation after Tony Blair was shoehorned out of Number 10. But even I didn’t think a Brown administration would be as inept as this one. [Ouch]

The Brownites are attempting to terrorise Labour MPs into inaction. If they succeed then we deserve our fate.

It is simply absurd to argue, as does No. 10, that the next leader must call an immediate general election. A new leader, when being invited by the Queen to form a government, should inform the Monarch that he or she intends to return in April of next year to call for a General Election on May 6.’

The cabinet reshuffle is in full swing and Gordon Brown clings on for dear political life. After the devastating comments from James Purnell in his resignation letter more Cabinet member resignations were expected but this hasn’t happened yet.

I still believe that Brown won’t survive. Once the election results are in and backbench Labour MP’s realise that they have little or no chance of holding on to their seats with Brown in charge, they will act and sign any email or letter put in front of them asking Brown to stand down.

What the text from the email circulating amongst backbench Labour MPs would contain if those circulating were honest and had any balls:

Dear Gordon,

Over the last 12 years in government, and before, youhave made an enormous contribution to this country and to the Labour Party,have comprehensively dismantled and destroyed the golden economic legacy you inherited and have burdened this great nation of ours with gigantic amounts of debt which will take decades to pay off and this is widely acknowledged.

However,After scheming, conniving and plotting for ten years to become party leader and Prime Minister, we hope you are able to appreciate and acknowledge our scheming, conniving and plotting against you. And we are writing now because we believe that in the current political situation we cannot hold onto our seats at the next general election with you in charge. And you can best serve the Labour Party and the countryour own personal and selfish interests by stepping down as party leader and Prime Minister and so allowing the party to find a new leader to take us into the next general election because only under a new leader do we have any chance of holding on to our seats. You have screwed the country, please don’t screw us.